Nutrien Ltd., Saskatoon, said on Sept. 22 it will indefinitely curtail one of its four ammonia plants in Trinidad in response to weak market conditions. The change will result in a 15 percent workforce reduction, effective Oct. 30, 2020. The layoffs would amount to 50 individuals, according to the Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.
Two of the ammonia plants and the associated urea facility will continue to operate at maximum capacity. The plant being curtailed indefinitely is Number 3, with a capacity of 365,000 mt/y. It was taken offline in June (GM June 19, p. 26).
Plant Number 2, which went down in May (GM May 8, p. 32), has a capacity to produce 545,000 mt/y. It is expected to come back up once market conditions improve. Total Nutrien gross ammonia capacity in Trinidad is 2.2 million mt/y.
Yara International ASA, Oslo, permanently idled one of its Trinidad ammonia plants last December (GM Nov. 15, 2019). The company has been eyeing the turnaround of another one in the country since July, though it has remained up, with the most recent report that it is slated go down later this month (GM Sept. 11, p. 2).